The Pipes on an Alien's Back?

[Mystic Lemons]

The pipes serve a more meaningfull purpose than just being a counterweight.thats like saying that the trunk of an elephant keeps the animals head in balance.. 

No it isn't. An elephant wouldn't fall over if it didn't have a trunk.

[Redfield]

well my theory is that THE PIPES ARE THERE FOR NO REASON except to look cool.

[AtR]

Somebody give this guy a medal.

[SM]

Resin ejectors.

Like a spider's spinaret.

[Keiros]

Atmosphere processors.

[Corporal Hicks]

Atmosphere processors.

Ah ah! Mini-atmospheric processors.

[SiL]

They were put there to balance the head, as has been stated.

Anything more important and the runner would've still had them. If they used it for breathing, the runner would suffocate. For nest-making, the runner would be unable to make a nest, etc. etc.

That's why the suit had 'em, anyway, so as far as I'm concerned that's the actual biological reason.

[Keiros]

Perhaps the runner didnt have them as it was a second generation creature. Meaning that it was gestated from an egg which was layed by a human/terrestrial gestated Queen, therefore adapted to an oxygen/nitrogen environment...

[AtR]

Maybe runner doesn't suppose to make a nest? I think the Drones were builders of hives.

[cragdoo]

Welllllll

If any one can remember the graphic novel from the original Movie back in 1978 , the tubes housed mandrills , much like the tentacles of a jellyfish , and if memory serves me correct one of these madrills was shown in the movie , when Lambert is attacked along with Parker , we can see the mandrill slide between her legs. According the graphic novel the mandrill was used to pull her lungs out through her back !

It was 'Alien the Illustrated Story' , trying to find screenshots

have managed to download a copy from www.aliensonline.hu , but the zip file is password protected ,Has anyone downloaded stuff from them before ? anyone have a clue to what the password might be ?

[Keiros]

I dont remember any of that being in the graphic novel...

You are talking about the Archie Goodwin/Walt Simonson version, arent you?

[cragdoo]

yeah , thats the one
trying to find a copy to refresh my memory. Saying that it was 25 years ago I last read it

[Keiros]

The only time the pipes move in that book is when its unfolded in the corridor in front of the shuttle door...

[cragdoo]

must be getting dellusional in my old age . Must have read/seen it elsewhere then , for years  thought it was a v kewl idea , now my beliefs have been shattered (LOL) 

[Eidotemit]

They cant be for processing atmosphere as the runner was without, perhaps the function of them is simply to help give a better degree of balance and the runners lack of dorsal spines was because it didnt need them because it spent the majority of its time on all fours.

Along those lines, maye they could help with balance in not only distributed weight, but also like the bones in human ears giving added sense to exact alighnment with the world around it, but idk I really just thought of that as I was writting.